Resolved
by orangana
Summary: He tried not to make a habit of saving people. It was too much of a hassle. But he would try, because she needed someone to save her and he had nothing better to do.
1. Chapter 1

_Don't think about it – stop stop it hurts stop stop – Someone will notice. Focus on what she's saying - it feels like my chest is caving in stop it hurts it hurts so bad stop_

The sounds coming from the tormented soul were as loud as a violent storm at midnight. Howling wind, pounding rain and the crash of thunder raged, all signs of intense grief. Cobra looked around the guildhall trying to determine the source of the despair. It was as if the person's soul was crying out for someone to help its vessel, but no one looked depressed. The intensity of their grief should have left them in a sobbing heap. Curiosity got the best of him as he started trying to locate the soul.

There weren't many mages scattered around the open room, so it shouldn't have been so difficult to pinpoint one unhappy person. The problem was they all looked to be in varying stages of peacefulness. His intuition, which he trusted above all else, told him he should focus on the group of women gathered around the bar.

They all looked like they were enjoying themselves. The drunk was slung over a keg, like usual, enjoying her midday buzz, and the demon infested barmaid was leaning against the countertop smiling brightly at the other women gathered around. They were all focused on the tiny script mage, who was very animatedly detailing the Iron Dragon Slayer's proposal from the night before. Apparently they were tying the knot. Finally. Cobra would finally get a break from the metal head's constant self depreciating thoughts as he agonized over popping the question. The barmaid's little sister was there, too, but her thoughts were as dull as usual. She was definitely perfect for her equally dim witted, fire breathing lover. That left only the Star Gazer.

His initial thought was that she was just as focused on the conversation, but then she met his eyes. It was like the storm came to life for a moment. The heartache she felt was overwhelming, crossing the gap between them until it felt like the weight of her sadness sat upon his own chest, threatening to drown him in a torrential sea of desolation. In that moment, he understood. She was lonely, and not the average loneliness people feel when they want some company. The ache she felt went down to her very soul and left a stain that could very well become permanent.

And then her gaze shifted back to the conversation and the echoes of thunder faded back into the distance, but quieter than before. It was as if she realized there was a chance he would pick up on her innermost feelings so she tamped them down to where she thought he wouldn't pick up on them.

She didn't realize how stubborn he could be when he was determined to solve a mystery.

With a focused effort, he honed his sound magic into a battering ram and beat against her inner defenses. She was good, but not good enough to keep him out. After a few seconds passed, he could hear a whisper of her hidden thoughts again.

_Focus on Levy. He can hear you. The bastard is probably listening in right now. Leave me alone, asshole._

He smirked and pushed harder, trying to find the wailing he'd picked up on before. When he found it, he almost wished he hadn't.

_It hurts My chest is caving in It hurts It hurts so bad I don't know what to do why do I feel so alone stopstopstopstop I can't take it anymore Someone help me please I'm so alone_

Her desperate soul was crying out for help, looking for someone to ease the aching loneliness, but no one was the wiser. The Celestial Mage kept that shit wrapped up so tightly behind her bright smiles that everyone around her believed she was happy. Cobra wasn't going to let it continue, though. There was no way he'd allow the world to lose a light like Lucy Heartfilia.


	2. Chapter 2

Next time he saw her, she was passed out on the ground in the alleyway behind a bar.

Cobra was shocked to find the petite blonde in such a place. Shock turned to appall when rifling through her soul showed him the events leading to her unusual napping place. There were details missing since an inebriated person's soul was harder to work with, but he managed to grasp enough of the last few hours to know what Lucy had been up to.

He knelt and rolled Lucy over carefully, then lifted her into his arms to carry her somewhere safer. He hadn't decided where he would take her, but nearly anywhere would be better than where he'd found her. As Cobra walked toward the residential area, he thought about everything he'd heard from her soul. It wasn't news to him that she was lonely in a way that friendship couldn't reach, but that didn't explain her behavior. Casual, drunken sex behind a bar was definitely not something he'd expect from the seemingly pure-hearted Celestial Mage, but the part that really shocked him was how she wanted to be treated. She wanted it rough and dangerously so.

Cobra shook his head to dispel the disturbing images conjured up by his imagination at the knowledge. He was no stranger to rough sex and even enjoyed it most of the time, but there was something off about this. Lucy wasn't looking for a good time. The round of sex, if it could really be called sex, she'd participated in bordered more on violence than an enjoyable level of pain.

After walking for several minutes, the ache in his arms made the decision of where to take the unconscious woman. His own apartment was much closer than hers and while he could have taken her to one of her friends that lived nearby, he didn't want to be bothered by the endless questions that would undoubtedly follow their arrival.

A few minutes later, he was shifting her weight around to open the door, kicking it shut behind him, and then laying her on his bed. He briefly wondered if Lucy would be uncomfortable waking up there but then decided he didn't care if it bothered her. It didn't seem right to lay her down on the dirty floor and it wasn't as if he had a couch for her to sleep on.

Cobra lay down next to Lucy, again uncaring if she would mind his close proximity. He sure as hell wasn't sleeping on the floor when there was plenty of room on the bed. It wasn't long until a deep sleep came over him, the fatigue of a long mission catching up with him now that he was bundled up on his soft mattress.

XXXX

The all too familiar pain of a hangover hit Lucy before she even opened her eyes. She kept them shut for a few more seconds, knowing the light of morning would only make the aching in her head worse. Only water, food and time would help, and maybe some pain medicine.

When she did finally open her eyes, it was to the sight of an unfamiliar room, but the situation was one she was becoming accustomed to. She turned her head to the side to see who she was next to, wondering if seeing the man's face would stir her memory. It took a few seconds for her eyes to focus and then the ping of recognition to register, but once it did, she was overcome with dread.

How the hell did she end up in bed with Cobra? He was one of the biggest gossips in the guild, using his magic to entertain himself by spreading around any juicy secrets he came across. Damn. Her entire team would know of her late night activities by the end of the day. Erza would never let her live it down and Natsu would get all dragon-y on her, trying to protect her from anything with a penis. Gray's reaction would either be the same as Natsu's or disappointment that she hadn't come to him for 'relief'. Ugh, the one and only time she'd gone to him, things between them had been extremely awkward for weeks.

Lucy looked back at her unexpected bedmate and sighed inwardly. At least he wasn't ugly. It was always disappointing to wake up next to the ugly ones.

"I'm flattered," his gruff voice made Lucy jump, which made her groan as she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes in an attempt to stop the increased throbbing, "but could you shut the fuck up and go back to sleep."

Before she could answer, Cobra went on, "You didn't have to say anything. Your thoughts are so fucking loud they woke me up."

Unsure of what to say and equally unwilling to try talking with her throat so dry, Lucy wondered how she could make her thoughts be quiet. Was that even possible? It wasn't like her brain had a volume button.

"Oh my fucking god," Cobra growled as he threw back the covers and stood to his feet. "It's even worse now."

He stomped towards a closed door that Lucy assumed was a bathroom while saying, "We did not have sex or even touch each other after I dropped you on the bed. I found you passed out in an alley and brought you here."

The door slammed shut but Lucy could still hear him muttering something that sounded like, "I'm starting to wish I had left you there."

Thoroughly shocked and unsure of what to do, Lucy decided to just lie there awhile longer. She was relieved to find out they hadn't slept together, but that also stirred the question of who she had sex with and why she was in an alley. Something told her she now owed the dragon slayer. Deciding to deal with all that later, she turned onto her side and pulled the blanket back up around her shoulders. By the time Cobra came back out of the bathroom, she was asleep again.


	3. Chapter 3

It was only a matter of time until the gossip mill turned her way, and it looked like her time of peace had finally run out. The mages of Fairy Tail loved to spread juicy rumors, and one of the women rivaling Cobra's notoriety in spreading stories was headed her way.

Cana sauntered over to where Lucy sat alone at the bar sipping her favorite smoothie. The brunette didn't stop at a stool, instead crawling onto the bar and laying flat on her back. Used to this behavior, Lucy only picked up her glass to avoid it being knocked over as Cana's body covered the space in which it formerly sat. Lucy's calm façade nearly cracked as relief flooded her when Cana said, "Babe, I'm soooo bored. There's nothing interesting going on around here."

Taking a sip to give herself time to think of a response, Lucy finally thought of something to say. "Well, we could play some cards."

"That's a great idea!" Cana rolled onto her stomach and reached into a side pocket on her cargo shorts. "I've been wanting to show off my new deck."

The tarot cards that landed in front of Lucy were not at all what she meant by playing cards.

Unaware of Lucy's inner panic, Cana went on, "I just finished making these and I've been dying to try them out on someone. So, you game?"

"Sure!" Lucy said with false excitement, not that Cana had been waiting on a response. She was already shuffling the cards and then pulled out the first one, laying it face up in front of the blonde. The card mage's face scrunched up in confusion and doubt as she said, "That can't be right. Maybe I need to check these out again before I use them."

Totally out of her league with tarot cards, Lucy asked, "Why? What's wrong with this one? It just looks like a lady on a card."

"Yeah, well it is just a lady, the High Priestess, but it's what she represents that doesn't make sense. If the card had been upright, I might've just went with it because it would totally match up with you because you're super smart and in touch with a form of divinity, the Celestial Realm. But it's not upright. It's upside down. That implies hidden things and a disconnection with one's inner self. That definitely doesn't sound like you." Cana stopped speaking, her self-depreciating smile breaking Lucy's heart. "Well, I guess I fucked these up. Haven't done that in a long time. I'll probably give them to Natsu to burn. Can't risk my magic fucking up somebody's life just because I screwed up when I made them."

Lucy's mind was at war with itself. Could she really let Cana go on doubting herself just to continue hiding her own issues? She knew the other woman had some serious insecurities over her magic. Letting her believe this lie would hurt her already fragile self-esteem, something Lucy couldn't allow to happen.

When Cana reached for the card, Lucy stopped her by placing her own hand over Cana's. She couldn't meet her friend's stare as she said quietly, "Don't destroy them. You did a good job with the deck."

There was a brief pause before Cana asked, "Everything ok, Lucy?"

The blonde chewed her lip and shrugged one shoulder before pulling her hand back into her lap. "I'm alright. Just some things going on in my mind."

Cana leaned forward to wrap her arms around Lucy. Tears stung Lucy's eyes as her friend held her, sensing the blonde's need for comfort. Stroking a hand up and down Lucy's back, Cana whispered, "I'm here for you whenever you're ready to talk."

Cobra watched the exchange between the two women, relieved to see Lucy opening up to someone. He hoped she'd let go of the lingering determination to be strong that he still heard in her soul. Keeping that shit trapped inside wouldn't do her any good. If she kept it up, he would be forced to do something about it and he really didn't want to wrap himself up in her problems any more than he already had. He didn't know how to help someone through their emotional issues. That ventured dangerously into the territory of friendship and friendship was something he didn't do. He kept people at arm's length because he wasn't good at dealing with them. So, he planned to keep listening in on her soul to keep tabs on her progress, and direct her to someone better suited to take care of her if she needed it.


	4. Chapter 4

After the blonde's chat with the drunk, Cobra believed everything would be fine. He assumed their ladies nights, or whatever the hell they were calling their sleepovers, would lead to the blonde's soul healing as she and the drunk talked through her issues.

Oh, how wrong he'd been.

The music in the guildhall was ridiculously loud, interfering with his ability to hear thoughts, but he could still clearly hear souls. What he was hearing from Lucy's soul wasn't at all reassuring him that she was on her way to becoming whole again. It sounded all wrong, just like before. The discordant jangle of noise was as ugly as it had been the first day he'd noticed it.

Cobra turned his focus to the souls of the two dragon slayers on either side of Lucy. They'd been invited to the wedding between the blue nerd and her metal crunching man, along with way too many other wizards. Shortly after the ceremony ended and the party began, the Twin Dragon Slayers picked up on Lucy's status as one of the few single women in Fairy Tail and promptly began trying to reel her in.

Under other circumstances, Cobra wouldn't have given a flying fuck if she left the guildhall for a wild night with the eskimo brothers, but he couldn't ignore the wailing of her soul. The sound he heard was coming from a small, suppressed section she was actively trying to ignore as she enjoyed their attention. Cobra would've left her alone if it weren't clear to him that going through with the budding plans would damage her soul further.

As he stood to his feet to walk toward the trio at the bar, Cobra asked himself again why he was doing this, but he couldn't come up with a good answer. Even still, his newly reformed heart wouldn't let him turn away from what was obviously a cry for help.

"Tits," he enjoyed the reaction her nickname got from the two dragon slayers. Their quiet, possessive growls were amusing. When Lucy's eyes met his, they were glazed over with the haze of way too much alcohol. No wonder she was so easily ignoring the cries of her soul.

"Hey, Cobra!" Her cheery greeting and bright smile had the eskimo brothers wondering if he and the blonde had a history. Nope, but he could work with that.

He reached out a hand, knowing she would accept it without thought in her drunken state. That same drunkenness didn't lend to good balance, so she stumbled right into Cobra's chest when she tried to stand. Even better. Now the two slayers were really wondering what they'd missed. Helping Lucy right herself, Cobra said, "Maybe you should slow down on the shots. You'll be shitfaced soon and end up as hungover as you were the last time you woke up in my bed."

Her responding giggle didn't reassure the two dragon slayers, leading to a deeper level of disappointment than Cobra had been expecting. He listened a little closer to their souls, wondering what their intentions had been with the blonde beyond just a quick fuck. The ring of disappointment was coming from the dark and broody one, which didn't make sense if he were only interested in a one-time thing. The bubbly guy clearly only wanted to wet his dick. Cobra met Rogue's eyes, hearing exactly how much the Shadow Dragon Slayer wanted Lucy. Well, too fucking bad. He could have her later when she wasn't fucked up and looking to drown her sorrows in jizz.

Though, that little discovery led Cobra to wonder if he'd found the solution to Lucy's little problem. She was desperately lonely and finding a long term, loving relationship could fix it. Maybe he would take a page out of the barmaid's book and play matchmaker. As he walked the hammered Celestial Mage home, he started making plans.


End file.
